12 Best Cars Under 30k - Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT

The average price of a new car is fast approaching the $30,000 mark. But the entries that make up this list are anything but "average."

When the assignments for this particular story were drawn from a box, I was "conveniently" absent. Therefore, I predicted that the honor of writing about the least popular car here would be suspiciously bestowed upon me, but thankfully the case was otherwise. My name drew the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a car that has defined its segment since its emergence 16 years ago and is still one of my all-time favorites — the only downside was that it only came as a convertible.

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Now with the new Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT), the compact 2-seater may well be the perfect sports car in my book. Mazda product guy Shiro Yoshioka had told me years ago of the possibility of a retractable hard top because the roadster had alienated coupe enthusiasts (like myself), and because many women complained that their hair became a mess — they refused to put the top up because the car didn't look as good.

It takes the PRHT 12 seconds to complete its function each way, with the driver needing to secure the center-mounted latch manually to the windshield header. I left the top up the entire time, and found the PRHT to be a step slower than its soft-top counterpart (it's about 90 lb. heavier), but much more enjoyable on the open road. The car is still a delight to throw around corners, and it has better rigidity thanks to its new lid. And perhaps most important of all, the car now looks better, top up or down. — Sam Mitani

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